H.R. 825 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Feb 24, 2025. Received Feb 25, 2025; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryBlocks SBA aid for fraud convictions
This bill bars people convicted of financial crimes tied to COVID-19 emergency loans from getting help from the Small Business Administration. It also applies to small business owners, officers, directors, or key employees who have these convictions. The only SBA assistance they could still get would be disaster loans.
How it affects you
If you own or work at a small business, this means your company couldn't receive most types of SBA assistance if you or another owner or top manager was convicted of fraud or financial misconduct related to COVID-19 relief programs. For most other business owners and employees, this doesn't directly affect you.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 28, 2025)
Assisting Small Businesses Not Fraudsters Act
This bill prohibits individuals convicted of certain financial crimes from receiving assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Specifically, the bill prohibits individuals who have been convicted of a crime involving financial misconduct or a false statement with respect to certain COVID-19 loans (e.g., Paycheck Protection Program loans, Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants, and Shuttered Venue Operators grants) from receiving any financial assistance from the SBA (other than a disaster loan).
The prohibition includes SBA assistance to small businesses that have an owner, officer, director, or key employee who has been convicted of such a crime.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 825
AN ACT
Assisting Small Businesses Not Fraudsters Act
Sponsor: Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX-25) · Introduced Jan 28, 2025 · Commerce · 3 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Feb 25, 2025: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass · Feb 24, 2025
Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass Passed 405–0
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 200 | 0 | 15 |
| Republicans | 205 | 0 | 12 |
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 3 official versions.